Vitality Cuisine: Yummy delights for Mom on Mother’s Day

Tuesday

May 6, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Mother’s Day is a special day that calls for special gifts and nothing is more special than making one of Mom’s favorite dishes from scratch.

By Laura Kurella

Mother’s Day is a special day that calls for special gifts and nothing is more special than making one of Mom’s favorite dishes from scratch.Given the fact that there are so many ways to make food these days, it’s pretty easy to find a recipe that is age appropriate for your children, no matter how young they might be.Brothers Aiden, Finn and Samuel Kincaid, all of Cincinnati, found it delightful and delicious to craft up some beautiful cake balls for their mom, Amber, and since the recipe does not calls for an already baked cake, it made it easy for children their age to create them.Authentic cake balls — the ones you don’t bake into orbs — are small spheres that consist of reconstituted cake crumbs that are often coated with chocolate or frosting.They were originally created from the crumbs of leftover or stale cake to prevent waste and were created simply by blending cake crumbs with icing then shaping it into small balls before dipping them in a coating, such as melted chocolate.Cake balls do not have the consistency of traditional cake, but are more similar to a brownie. That comes from the blending of cake crumbs and icing.What’s especially nice about them is they can be rolled into toppings like sprinkles, nuts, chocolate shavings and candy, then dipped into melted almond bark or chocolate.The boys liked all aspects of their creation, from breaking the cake into crumbs to the dipping of the finished balls into white or dark chocolates. However, they ultimately liked being able to sample the fruits of their labor and then presenting the best-looking ones they made to Mom.Making cake balls requires just a few steps and a few ingredients — cake, frosting and dippers or toppings but the joy they create lasts a long time.Plus, giving Mom a gift that you made with your own two hands is a gift that is truly priceless.Here now are the recipes that Aiden, Finn and Samuel used to create their beautiful cake balls Mom. Enjoy, and happy Mother’s Day!

Chocolate frosting cake balls1 packaged chocolate cake mix, prepared16 ounces prepared chocolate frosting3 ounces dark or milk chocolatePrepare cake mix according to package directions. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended. Using your hand or a small scoop, form balls from the chocolate cake mixture and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill or freeze until hardened. Melt chocolate coating, and then dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.